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A young father who felt “the jury was still out” on whether cannabis was banned received a 12-month community order for having 16 wraps of the illegal drug.

Nicholas Maze’s defence solicitor Michael Philips said his client did not understand the legal minefield surrounding ‘weed’ and was not convinced it should be banned.

Maze, of Managua Close in Caversham’s Amersham Road estate, appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 27 January when, having already admitted the charge, he was sentenced for one count of possessing 16 individual wraps of cannabis, a Class B drug. The drugs were discovered after police visited his home on September 29.

Richard Nicholls, prosecuting, said: “Officers attended his address and arrested him in relation to an unrelated matter.

“He is on supervision and is doing well.

“He is in a difficult situation.

“Other European countries have different views of cannabis.

“He feels the jury is still out.

“He is not going out and getting drunk and abusing cocaine.

“He does realise he should not be doing it [smoking cannabis] as it is against the law.

“It [smoking cannabis] does not cause him to offend which is good.”

Mr Philips said the 25-year-old – in November 2007 sentenced to a two-year supervision order after he attacked an epileptic dad with a broom and triggered a seizure – was particularly perplexed by how different European countries treated the possession of cannabis differently.

However, he did not sway magistrates, although chairman Royston Hines admitted it “raised a smile”.

“You must remember you are living in this country and therefore must obviously obey the laws of this country,” said Mr Hines.

Mr Philips added Maze, currently unemployed, was trained as a groundsman and had a toddler daughter.

Mr Hines, sentencing Maze to the year-long order and £85 costs, said: “You’re 25. It’s about time you grew up and concentrated on your young lady.

“You will get more pleasure from your young lady than you will from smoking weed.”